Thrips Damage
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Figure 1. Lower surface of Veitchia sp leaf damaged by thrips feeding. Photo by T.K. Broschat
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Figure 2. Upper surface of leaf of Veitchia sp. damaged by thrips feeding. Photo by T.K. Broschat
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Symptoms
Early symptoms are a stippled and silvery appearance on the lower surface of mid-canopy and older leaves (Fig. 1). The black speckles on the silvery surface are the excrement from feeding juvenile thrips. Affected tissue eventually becomes necroticnecrotic:
see necrosis
(Fig. 2).
May be confused with
Thrips damage can be similar in appearance to that caused by mites. However, there will be no webbing associated with thrips and the necrosisnecrosis:
dead tissue, usually desiccated and brown to gray in color
is usually much more extensive.
Cause
Sucking of juices in the leaves by juvenile thrips result in the observed symptoms.
Occurrence
There are few reports of thrips feeding on palms, but they occasionally cause significant damage on several species of palms in Florida.
